Description
Delight in these decadent Creme Brûlée Cookies featuring a crisp sugar cookie base topped with smooth homemade vanilla pastry cream and a caramelized brûlée sugar topping. Perfect for special occasions or an indulgent treat, these cookies marry the classic flavors of vanilla custard and caramelized sugar with a buttery, tender cookie.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Vanilla Pastry Cream
- 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) whole milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (225 g) granulated white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 1/2 tbsp (28 g) cornstarch
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, cut in cubes
Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/2 cups (313 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cup (250 g) granulated white sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for rolling the dough in)
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated white sugar (for the brûlée topping)
Instructions
- Heat Milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium-low heat until just steaming. Reduce heat to low to keep warm until needed.
- Prepare Egg Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and cornstarch until pale yellow and smooth.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly add 1/4 of the hot milk to the egg mixture while stirring vigorously, then add the remaining milk and combine well.
- Cook Pastry Cream: Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking continuously for 8-12 minutes, until thickened and soft peaks form.
- Finish Pastry Cream: Remove from heat, stir in unsalted butter cubes until completely combined. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill until cold.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Beat softened butter and sugar with an electric or stand mixer on high speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in egg and vanilla bean paste on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture on low speed until dough just comes together.
- Form Cookies: Using a large cookie scoop, portion dough into balls, then roll each in sugar (1/2 cup for rolling). Place on parchment-lined sheets and slightly flatten each.
- Bake Cookies: Bake 6 at a time for 9-10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Pipe Pastry Cream: Once cookies are cooled, fill a piping bag fitted with a small round tip with chilled pastry cream and pipe on top of each cookie.
- Brûlée Topping: Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar from the brûlée topping sugar over each piped cookie. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize until golden brown and fragrant.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the brûlée topping to cool and harden for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy immediately as cookies may become soggy if left too long after assembly.
Notes
- Add the pastry cream topping only when ready to serve to avoid soggy cookies.
- If you do not have vanilla bean paste, substitute with high-quality vanilla extract, but expect a slightly different flavor intensity.
- Use a kitchen torch carefully to brûlée the topping without burning the sugar or pastry cream.
- These cookies can be baked in batches and stored airtight separately from the pastry cream for up to 3 days.
- Chill pastry cream thoroughly for the best piping consistency.
- The cookies are best enjoyed on the day they are assembled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 190 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
